Rochester area sees drop in private-sector jobs

The Rochester metropolitan area economy remained relatively stable in January, with a slight increase in the number of non-farm jobs and a decline in the number of private-sector jobs, the state Department of Labor said Thursday.

Over the last year, Rochester has added 200 non-farm jobs, while the private sector lost 600 jobs, or 0.1 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Rochester was one of four upstate regions with private-sector job loss from January 2012 to January 2013.

The Buffalo-area economy improved in January, with an increase of 3,500 non-farm jobs, or 0.7 percent, and a 4,900-job increase in the private sector, or 1.1 percent. The Syracuse area gained 500 non-farm jobs in January, or 0.1 percent, while the private sector lost 200 jobs.

Among the 52-county Upstate New York region, non-farm job growth was 10,500 in January, while the private sector gained 16,900 jobs, not seasonally adjusted. Statewide, some 90,800 non-farm jobs were added in January, while the private sector gained 102,600 jobs.

January marks the 17th consecutive month of private sector job gains in New York, the Department of Labor noted.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate statewide in January was 8.4 percent, compared with 8.2 percent in December and 8.4 percent in January 2012.

Non-seasonally adjusted data are valuable in year-to-year comparisons for the same month, for example, January 2012 versus January 2013, the Department of Labor noted. When comparing different months, seasonally adjusted data provide the most valid comparison.

The professional & business services sector continued to show the largest job gains statewide in January, having added 32,900 jobs since January 2012, not seasonally adjusted. The government, primarily at the local level, shed the most jobs in January, having lost some 11,800 jobs since January 2012.